Description: Gram-negative straight rods; sometimes look spherical in shape.
The Black
Etching of man with with Bubonic Plague in medieval times
Death was a medieval pandemic that killed millions of people and stayed around for centuries. It swept through Asia and Europe, infecting and killing so many people that there weren’t even enough people alive to bury the dead. The Black Death was a plague that existed in three interrelated forms, the bubonic plague being the most common and widespread. (The other two forms are the pneumonic plague and septicemic plague.) 25 million people were killed in just two years and a third of the European population was wiped out. It was a tragic time in history and is a disease that left an unforgettable mark on the world.
"Ring around the rosy, a pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all fall down!" Did you know that this children's rhyme is actually about the Bubonic Plague? Ring around the rosy? A red, rosy rash in the shape of a ring around the neck was a common symptom of this disease. Pocket full of posies? People filled their pockets with sweet smelling herbs (posies) as they believed that the disease was transmitted by bad smells! Ashes, ashes... Can you guess what this means? The cremation of the dead bodies.
(In the English version, "ashes" is replaced with "a-tishoo" as sneezing was another violent symptom!)
And we all fall down!
Black spots are the most noticable symptoms of Bubonic plague
Symptoms: chills, fever, general malaise, headache, muscle pain, black spots (caused by internal bleeding), painful lymph gland swelling called buboes (become evident 2-5 days afterexposure) Other Complications: with the infection spilling into the bloodstream, complications will arise in the liver, spleen, and lungs; people who are infected could develop a severe bacteria pneumonia; people can enter into a severe state of mental confusion; if left untreated, the disease could develop into a predominately pnuemonic form; 50-60% of untreated people will die of the disease.
Doxycycline Antibiotic
Immediate treatment is a must
If the infected is not treated within 24 hours of when symptoms first start showing, death could result
Without treatment, about 50% of people will die
Antibiotics used: streptomycin, gentamicin, doxycycline, or ciproflaxacin can be used. Other Treatments: oxygen, intravenous fluids, and respiratory support are usually required.
Spread by the bite of an infected rat flea
Rats that carried the infected fleas
Spread lymphatic and systemic
Flea carrying Yersinia pestis bacteria
Vaccine for bubonic plague
Vaccine: only available for high-risk workers (i.e. military workers, animal handlers); requires multiple doses, frequent booster shots; have major side effects; no vaccine for general public Other ways: Rat control and being on high alert for the disease in wild rodent populations; environmental sanitation; raising awareness/educating the public on how to avoid and prevent exposure; antibiotics given to a person who has had close exposure to a possible-infected animal.
Protect yourself and those around you by washing your hands!
The Black
"Ring around the rosy, a pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all fall down!"
Did you know that this children's rhyme is actually about the Bubonic Plague?
Ring around the rosy? A red, rosy rash in the shape of a ring around the neck was a common symptom of this disease.
Pocket full of posies? People filled their pockets with sweet smelling herbs (posies) as they believed that the disease was transmitted by bad smells!
Ashes, ashes... Can you guess what this means? The cremation of the dead bodies.
(In the English version, "ashes" is replaced with "a-tishoo" as sneezing was another violent symptom!)
And we all fall down!
Symptoms: chills, fever, general malaise, headache, muscle pain, black spots (caused by internal bleeding), painful lymph gland swelling called buboes (become evident 2-5 days after exposure)
Other Complications: with the infection spilling into the bloodstream, complications will arise in the liver, spleen, and lungs; people who are infected could develop a severe bacteria pneumonia; people can enter into a severe state of mental confusion; if left untreated, the disease could develop into a predominately pnuemonic form; 50-60% of untreated people will die of the disease.
Antibiotics used: streptomycin, gentamicin, doxycycline, or ciproflaxacin can be used.
Other Treatments: oxygen, intravenous fluids, and respiratory support are usually required.
Vaccine: only available for high-risk workers (i.e. military workers, animal handlers); requires multiple doses, frequent booster shots; have major side effects; no vaccine for general public
Other ways: Rat control and being on high alert for the disease in wild rodent populations; environmental sanitation; raising awareness/educating the public on how to avoid and prevent exposure; antibiotics given to a person who has had close exposure to a possible-infected animal.
Resources:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001622/
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/plague/
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ep-mu/plague-eng.php#p1
http://www.atsu.edu/faculty/chamberlain/Website/lectures/lecture/plague.htm
http://hamap.expasy.org/proteomes/YERPE.html
http://www.rhymes.org.uk/ring_around_the_rosy.htm
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/plague.htm
http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/health-and-human-body/human-diseases/plague-article/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumonic_plague
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/epidemics/4/1